Gravel laying machine



March 28, 1961 SIEVERS ET AL 2,976,826

GRAVEL LAYING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 1-3, 1958 Albert H. Sievers Carl J. Skewers Elmer I .Slbvers 1N VEN TORS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 3 5 b 4 mm W. m N IhEIL'. .fi w m u f l h S p v s V QR I m m w 8 u #9 v wmm ACE March 28, 196 A. H. SIEVERS ETAL GRAVEL LAYING MACHINE Filed Oct. 13, 1958 A. H. SIEVERS ET AL GRAVEL LAYING MACHINE March 28, 1961 Filed Oct. 13, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Albert h. Sievers t -s Carl J. slisvers Elmer I .Sl'evers INVENTORS N BY Zn vm March 28, 1961 A. H. SIEVERS ETAL 2,976,826

GRAVEL LAYING MACHINE Filed Oct. 13, 1958 4 Sheets-Sheet 4' Fig.5

Albert H. Sievers Carl J. Sievers Elmer 7. Sievers 1 N VEN TORS GRAVEL LAYING MACHINE Albert H. Sievers, Carl J. Sievers, and Elmer T. Sievers, all of Fieldon, 11].

Filed Oct. 13, 1958, Ser. No. 766,929 3 Claims. (Cl. 111-67) This invention relates to a gravel laying machine for the principal purpose of providing drainage in areas where natural drainage is inadequate.

An object of the invention is to provide a new, useful, practical machine for quickly opening a slit trench and immediately upon opening the trench, filling it with gravel and thereby providing a thin ribbon drainage system or network. This has the appreciable advantage of requiring only one machine and no hand labor to form complete drainage systems in the soil.

A more particular object of the invention is to provide a gravel laying machine which has a hopper mounted on the frame, the frame preferably adapted to be drawn by a tractor, truck, etc. As the hopper delivers a controlled amount of gravel to an endless transfer conveyor, a trench-forming digging tool also attached to the same frame as the hopper, is drawn through the soil thereby opening a trench. Meanwhile the gravel on the conveyor drops into the inlet chute of a second hopper formed as a part of the structural support for the trench digger. The lower end of this last mentioned hopper occupies the trench that is opened by the trench digger so that the gravel is not spilled and is ultimately deposited precisely where it is needed, i.e., in the trench.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

Figure l is a side view of the gravel laying machine.

Figure 2 is a rear elevational view of the machine in Figure l with the conveyor drive wheel omitted.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 55 of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a side elevational view of the machine but showing it in adjustment for moving it from one place to another without digging trenches and laying gravel therein.

in the accompanying drawings there is a gravel laying machine it) constructed to exemplify the principles of the invention. This machine may have its own engine and be self-propelled to the extent of drawing power from the engine. It is preferred, though, that the machine be pulled by a tractor, truck or some other independent source of power. Therefore tongue 12 is shown firmly secured to the main frame 14 of the machine and adapted to be coupled by means of coupling 16 to the draft vehicle. The frame of the machine is made in such a way so as to be sufficiently strong to support all of the operative parts of the machine. The frame construction may be varied considerably and still serve the necessary function of a frame construction. The illus- 2,9765% Patented Mar. 28, 1961 trated frame has a front frame member 18, side frame members 20 and 22 and a plurality of uprights 24 by which to support hopper 26. The hopper is top loaded with gravel and has a discharge opening 28 near its lower end controlled by gate 30. The gate is slidable in tracks 32 on opposite sides of opening 28 and is adapted to be held in the latched position by any conventional means or merely by the friction between the gate and the track 32. Axle 34 is mounted in axle housing 36, the latter being attached by hangers 38 to the sides or side frame members 20 and 22. Two sets of dual wheels 44) and 42 are at the ends of the ame 34.

There is an endless conveyor 44 carried by frame 14. The endless conveyor has a conveyor frame 46 held at an angle to the generally horizontal plane of frame members 18, 20 and 22 by means of braces 48 that are welded to the axle housing 36 and to the frame members 20 and 22. Endless conveyor 44 has a conveyor belt 50 with the lower part of the upper flight of the belt located below the open lower end of hopper 26 and below discharge opening 28 controlled by gate 30. Provision is made for adjusting the tension of conveyor belt St for instance the front and rear rollers of the endless conveyor may be mounted in sliding bearings 52 that are bolted or otherwise held fastened in selected places in slots 54 at the inner and outer ends of the conveyor frame 46. Side boards 58 and 60 are on each side of the endless conveyor to keep the gravel on the upper flight of the conveyor. Side boards 69 are adjacent to discharge opening 28 and side boards 58 run approxi mately the full length of the upper flight of conveyor 44.

Conveyor 44 is powered by drive wheel 62 (Figure 3) at the end of shaft 64. The drive wheel 62 is movable to a position at which it contacts one of the tires of dual wheel 42 thereby rotating shaft 64. Therefore this particular tire should be kept clean. Scraper 66 consisting of a U-shaped blade held close to this tire by bracket 68 on frame member 20, scrapes all or essentially all of the foreign matter from the tire as the machine is in normal use( One end of shaft 64 is mounted in bearing 70 which is supported on bracket 72 attached to frame member 18. The bearing is capable of oscillating slightly since it is supported by one pivot 74 secured to bracket 72 and passed through a hole in one of the flanges of bearing 70. It is noted that this bearing assembly may be substituted by a conventional self-aligning hearing. The shaft 64 is also supported by bearing 76 of generally the same type as bearing 70 and having a single bolt '78, pin or the like attached to a flange thereof. The bolt extends through a slot 80 (Fig. 4) in an upper plate 82 of mounting bracket 84 and which is secured to frame member 29. Accordingly, the bearing 76 may be oscillated slightly to bring the periphery of wheel 62 in contact with the periphery of one of the wheels of the pair of dual wheels 42.

Sprocket 86 is attached to shaft 64 and has chain 88 engaged with it. This chain is also engaged with a sprocket 90 which is fixed to shaft 52 on which the lower roller of conveyor 44 is also fixed. As power wheel 62 is rotated, the endless conveyor belt 50 is correspondingly actuated.

There are means carried by frame 12 for opening a trench as the machine is pulled over the soil. These means d2 consist of a hopper 93 that has a throat 94 of substantially rectangular cross-section and provided with a dischargeopening 96 at the lower end thereof. The trailing end of the hopper throat 94 has short transverse braces 98 that are spaced from each other, leaving further discharge openings for the gravel. The open upper end of hopper 93 is in approximate vertical alignment g 3 with the discharge end of conveyor 44 so that the gravel that is propelled by conveyor 44 may be gravity dropped into hopper 93 and discharged through the discharge openings at the lower part of the hopper 93. A trench digging tool 100 is attached to the lower part of hopper 93 and is structurally supported by an angulated brace 102 attached to the structurally substantial back wall of the hopper 93. The trench opening, earth-working tool 100 preferably has a chisel shape and is welded in place. In this way additional chisel-shaped tools may be attached directly to the tool 100 by a single bolt 194 so that the size of the trench that is opened may be varied in accordance with the selection of tool size.

In order to support the trench opening means 92 there are two pairs of brackets 106 and 108 (Figure 3) which are "welded or otherwise secured to axle housing 36. Each pair of brackets has a group of apertures 110 (Figure 4), one of which is selected to accept pivot pin 112 through which links 114 and 116 are connected (Figure 3). Shaft 118 is attached to links 114 and 116 and this has an approximately U-shaped frame 120 mounted thereon. Chains 122 and 124 are welded at their lower ends to the sides 126 and 128 of frame 120 and are engaged in hooks 130 and 132 that are welded or afiixed in some other way to sides and 22. By selection of the links to be fitted in hooks 130 and 132, the effective length of the chains may be regulated. The chains function as stops limiting the downward movement of frame 120 and this acts as a depth gauge for the trench digging means 92.

A pair of diagonal braces 140 and 142 are secured by depending braces 144 (Figure 4) to the sides 126 and 128 of frame 120 and to the front cross member 129 of the same frame 120.

A double-acting hydraulic cylinder 150 is mounted by a pivotal mounting 152 on frame member 18 and has its piston rod 156 connected pivotally to crank 158. The crank is swingable on a pivot 160 (Figure 1) attached to frame member 22 and has a transverse rod or tube or the like 162 secured to its rearward end. This tube or rod or like member 162 extends across the frame 12 and has its opposite ends disposed in the spaces 164 between the frame sides 120 and 128 and the diagonal braces 140 and 142, see Figure 4. The opposite end of the member 162 is attached to crank 159 which is mounted for pivotal movement on pivot 166 whose longitudinal axis is in alignment with the pivot 160, but which is carried by frame member 20. The member 162, and cranks 158, 159 form a U-shaped crank. The extremity 168 of crank 159 is movable to a position at which it contacts the end of push rod 170 (Figure 3) which is supported in bearings 172 on frame member 20. Push rod 170 is capable of sliding axially and is connected to bearing 76 by a pivot 180. Return spring 181 is secured to push rod 170 and to a bracket 182 on frame member 20.

In operation of this part of the machine, the doubleacting hydraulic cylinder 150 which connects to a convenient source of hydraulic power, for instance, the hydraulic power take-off of a tractor, causes the furrow digging means 92 to be raised or lowered depending on the direction of operation of cylinder 150. When in the lowered position power wheel 62 contacts one of the dual wheels in the manner previously described, and this operates conveyor 44. The gravel is dropped into hopper 93 and directed into the trench opened by the trench digging tool 100.

However, when it is desired to transport the machine from one place to another the hydraulic cylinder 150 is appropriately actuated in a direction to lift the trench digging means 92. At the same time crank extremity 168 strikes push rod 170 and thereby slides shaft 64 sufiiciently to disengage the power wheel 62 from one of the wheels of dual wheels 42. This automatically disengages the drive to the endless conveyor 44. The lifting of crank 158 elevates the two cranks 158 and 159 simul taneously and also elevates the part 162. It contacts the bottom surface of the sides of frame and lifts the trench digging or opening means 92 to the position shown in Figure 6. The machine is now ready to be moved from one place to another with a minimum of interference, effort and with no possible damage to the machine. A

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly allsuitable modifications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. In a gravel laying machine, a main frame, an axle having ground wheels thereon and an axle housing, means mounting said main frame on said housing, a gravel laying hopper having a trench digging means thereon and being open to lay gravel in a trench dug by said trench digging means, an endless conveyor mounted on said main frame above said hopper for conveying gravel to said hopper and discharging the same into said hopper, a supporting frame for said hopper fixed thereto and including sides, means pivotally mounting said sides of the supporting frame on said housing for movement about a horizontally disposed transversely extending axis whereby said hopper and trench digging means may be raised and lowered, a U-shaped crank underlying said sides of the supporting frame, pivotally mounted on said housing and engageable with said sides for raising and lowering said supporting frame, hydraulic means on said main frame operatively connected to said U-shaped crank, friction drive means on said main frame for said conveyor mounted for movement into and out of engagement with one of said ground wheels, a push rod 'operatively connected to said drive means for effecting movement of the latter into and out of engagement with said one ground wheel, and means on said U-shaped crank operatively engaging said push rod to disengage said drive means in response to raising of said U-shaped crank.

2. The combination of claim 1 including a pair of longitudinally extending laterally spaced braces rigidly mounted on said supporting frame and extending under and in spaced relation to said supporting frame, said U-shaped crank overlying said braces whereby lowering of said U-shaped crank will positively lower said supporting frame to lower said hopper and trench digging means.

3. The combination of claim 1, said last mentioned means being a terminal on said U-shaped crank for engaging said push rod.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 131,097 Hackman Sept. 3, 1872 413,866 Peden Oct. 29, 1889 467,683 Essex Jan. 26, 1892 875,539 Little Dec. 31, 1907 978,836 Bowslaugh Dec. 20, 1910 1,396,900 Tworski Nov. 15, 1921 2,017,304 Blackney Oct. 15, 1935 

